Funding holds key for some Bryce patients

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer

Published: Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 11:04 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | The sale of Bryce Hospital settles the question of future care for 250 patients who will go to a new psychiatric hospital, but leaves unsettled the prospects for about 100 others who don’t yet have a place to go.

Facts

The Bryce sale

$72 million: the money available to the Department of Mental Health ($50 million from the University of Alabama and $22 million from a state bond issue).$10 million: for historic preservation and environmental clean up at the old Bryce campus.

Allocating the Money$63 million: for site preparation and construction of a 250-bed psychiatric hospital.$11.8 million: for moving 100 patients to community-based care, and 250 others to the new hospital.$5 million: to rebuild facilities at the W.D. Partlow Developmental Center that sit in the footprint of the new hospital construction site.

The state Department of Mental Health intends to move about 100 patients now at Bryce into community-based care, although cutbacks in funding in recent years have strained those services across the state.

If the department’s estimate for building a 250-bed state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital in Tuscaloosa is correct — about $63 million — then proceeds from the sale of the Bryce land won’t be enough to also fund all the other parts of the plan, such as expanding community-based care.

The Mental Health Department is at work on how to meet those needs, said John Ziegler, spokesman for the department.

It’s somewhat of a juggling act in planning, Ziegler said. “It’s like working on several railroad tracks at the same time that will later converge.”

Jim Dill, executive director of the Alabama Council of Community Mental Health Boards, is part of a Bryce transition committee that has been meeting for about a year.

“All is very much in the air right now,” Dill said.

Exactly when the patients might be moved or how much the new services might cost isn’t yet known. A lot depends on funding, Dill said. Mental Health Commissioner John Houston has said that about $6.5 million will be dedicated to the move.

Additional resources saved by the reduction of Bryce patients will also need to be reallocated toward community care, according to recommendations made by former mental health commissioner Kathy Sawyer, who was hired by Gov. Bob Riley as a Bryce consultant last year.

The level of the success of the community care will depend on how well funded it is.

Over the last two years, the state has cut $14 million in community care. Dill said last month that if any additional cuts were made, it would mean a minimum of 20,000 people would lose some kind of services. Of that number, he estimated 3 percent — or about 600 patients — would return to state facilities, including Bryce Hospital.

According to Riley’s proposed budget presented Jan. 12, the level of funding going to mental health is likely to be about the same as fiscal year 2010.

There will be about $849 million dedicated to the Department of Mental Health if the state Legislature approves Riley’s proposed budget. But that does not include an additional $27.2 million in the Education Trust Fund and other federal money that may be available to the state, Ziegler said.

Regardless of funding, the state needs to focus on the immediate needs of patients at Bryce, specifically those who may be moved into their communities now, said James Tucker, an attorney with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program.

“There are treating physicians who say there are people at Bryce today who can go to their community with the appropriate support,” Tucker said. “For me, the thing we need to focus on right now is to get consumers out of the hospital when they are not as needy. There is no reason we shouldn’t be moving forward quickly.”

Ziegler said that some of the support needed for community care, such as housing, medical care and psychiatric care, still have to be developed for some patients because they don’t all exist right now.

“Some residential services, hiring staff, all that will have to be worked out,” Ziegler said.

When the transition occurs, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program will follow each patient at Bryce before the move and after to ensure the transition is successful, Tucker said.

“We are going to follow the persons who move from hospitals to the community, just as we did during the final round of the Wyatt settlement,” he said, referring to the Wyatt v. Stickney case, which resulted in thousands of Bryce patients moving into community care. “We will do that same work to make sure that persons who are currently at the hospital will be able to make a successful move to the community.”

Making sure the transition is successful is the most important thing, Tucker added.

“It’s a challenge that you can’t shy away from,” Tucker said. “It’s not whether we should do it because it’s hard; we need to do it because it’s right.”

<p>TUSCALOOSA | The sale of Bryce Hospital settles the question of future care for 250 patients who will go to a new psychiatric hospital, but leaves unsettled the prospects for about 100 others who don't yet have a place to go.</p><p>The state Department of Mental Health intends to move about 100 patients now at Bryce into community-based care, although cutbacks in funding in recent years have strained those services across the state.</p><p>If the department's estimate for building a 250-bed state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital in Tuscaloosa is correct — about $63 million — then proceeds from the sale of the Bryce land won't be enough to also fund all the other parts of the plan, such as expanding community-based care.</p><p>The Mental Health Department is at work on how to meet those needs, said John Ziegler, spokesman for the department.</p><p>It's somewhat of a juggling act in planning, Ziegler said. “It's like working on several railroad tracks at the same time that will later converge.” </p><p>Jim Dill, executive director of the Alabama Council of Community Mental Health Boards, is part of a Bryce transition committee that has been meeting for about a year.</p><p>“All is very much in the air right now,” Dill said. </p><p>Exactly when the patients might be moved or how much the new services might cost isn't yet known. A lot depends on funding, Dill said. Mental Health Commissioner John Houston has said that about $6.5 million will be dedicated to the move.</p><p>Additional resources saved by the reduction of Bryce patients will also need to be reallocated toward community care, according to recommendations made by former mental health commissioner Kathy Sawyer, who was hired by Gov. Bob Riley as a Bryce consultant last year. </p><p>The level of the success of the community care will depend on how well funded it is. </p><p>Over the last two years, the state has cut $14 million in community care. Dill said last month that if any additional cuts were made, it would mean a minimum of 20,000 people would lose some kind of services. Of that number, he estimated 3 percent — or about 600 patients — would return to state facilities, including Bryce Hospital. </p><p>According to Riley's proposed budget presented Jan. 12, the level of funding going to mental health is likely to be about the same as fiscal year 2010. </p><p>There will be about $849 million dedicated to the Department of Mental Health if the state Legislature approves Riley's proposed budget. But that does not include an additional $27.2 million in the Education Trust Fund and other federal money that may be available to the state, Ziegler said. </p><p>Regardless of funding, the state needs to focus on the immediate needs of patients at Bryce, specifically those who may be moved into their communities now, said James Tucker, an attorney with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program. </p><p>“There are treating physicians who say there are people at Bryce today who can go to their community with the appropriate support,” Tucker said. “For me, the thing we need to focus on right now is to get consumers out of the hospital when they are not as needy. There is no reason we shouldn't be moving forward quickly.”</p><p>Ziegler said that some of the support needed for community care, such as housing, medical care and psychiatric care, still have to be developed for some patients because they don't all exist right now. </p><p>“Some residential services, hiring staff, all that will have to be worked out,” Ziegler said. </p><p>When the transition occurs, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program will follow each patient at Bryce before the move and after to ensure the transition is successful, Tucker said. </p><p>“We are going to follow the persons who move from hospitals to the community, just as we did during the final round of the Wyatt settlement,” he said, referring to the Wyatt v. Stickney case, which resulted in thousands of Bryce patients moving into community care. “We will do that same work to make sure that persons who are currently at the hospital will be able to make a successful move to the community.” </p><p>Making sure the transition is successful is the most important thing, Tucker added.</p><p>“It's a challenge that you can't shy away from,” Tucker said. “It's not whether we should do it because it's hard; we need to do it because it's right.”</p><p><i>Reach Lydia Seabol Avant at 205-722-0222 or lydia.seabol</p><p>avant@tuscaloosanews.com.</i></p>